Right-wing billionaire Sebastian Pinera beat three leftists in the Dec. 13 presidential election but failed to obtain a majority, setting up a runoff against a veteran of the coalition that has ruled for two decades of democracy.

Sebastian Pinera AP PHOTO

The Harvard-educated Pinera had 44 percent to 30 percent of the votes for the ruling center-left coalition's candidate, former President Eduardo Frei. Breakaway Socialist Rep. Marco Enriquez-Ominami had 20 percent and communist Jorge Arrate had 6 percent, with 98 percent of the votes counted.

The key question in the Jan. 17 runoff between Pinera and Frei is whether leftists can unify to fend off the most moderate candidate Chile's right has ever had.

A win by Pinera, 60, would install a right-wing government in Chile for the first time since Gen. Augusto Pinochet's 1973-1990 dictatorship — but only if Pinera persuades enough leftists to take a chance on him.